1. Field Of the Invention
This invention relates to supports for signs, meters, gates, etc. as used along highways and, more particularly, to a sign support system that can be installed and repaired simply and at a relatively low cost. The invention also relates to a method of constructing such a system and effecting repair thereof.
2. Background Art
In 1991, it was estimated that there were in excess of 50 million highway signs in the U.S., to include stop signs, warning signs, speed limit signs, road identification signs, etc. that must be periodically replaced and repaired. In addition to these signs, there are a large number of highway assist structures, such as parking meters, railroad crossing indicators, etc. that require periodic maintenance and replacement, as when struck by a motor vehicle. Mounting of most of the above roadside structures is regulated by the Federal Highway Administration, which places a number of restrictions on the construction thereof.
One such regulation requires that sign posts break off at or below a certain impact force. This regulation is intended to avoid injury to passengers and vehicles due to posts that are too rigid and those that might bend in such a manner to be dangerously oriented upon impact. As a result, a large number of these signs are severed along roadways, often by no more than a relatively minor impact by a vehicle, as at a crossing.
Various types of sign supports are currently available to comply with these regulations. One common form of sign support is a wooden post, on the order of four inches square, which is buried in the ground to effect anchoring thereof. Upon being impacted by a motor vehicle, these posts snap off near ground level.
Repair of such a sign post can be effected in a number of ways. In one manner of repair, an entirely new post is planted at a new location in the vicinity of where the old part was placed. The post portion remaining in the ground can be trimmed at or below ground level to avoid an exposed hazard. This manner of repair is undesirable in that the sign may be repositioned in less than an optimal location.
In another manner of repair, the post portion remaining in the ground can be dug up in what is a relatively difficult and time consuming operation. An entirely new post is then implanted in exactly the same location where the original post was placed.
Regardless of which replacement procedure is followed, the severed post becomes scrap and an entirely new post is substituted. This is undesirable from both an economic and ecological standpoint.
Alternative systems to wood are currently available. One such system is offered by Unistrut Corporation in Wayne, Mich. and employs square, telescoping metal channels that are held together using bolts. This system, which is described in greater detail in the Detailed Description of the Drawings section that follows, uses three different size channels. A mid-size channel is initially driven into the ground. A larger channel is placed over the mid-size channel to project sightly above ground level. A small channel fits within the mid-size channel and projects upwardly to provide a support for the sign, meter, etc. Upon impact, the small channel severs at the top of the large channel where the wall is reinforced by reason of the double thickness thereat.
The problem with replacement of the small channel is similar to that with wooden posts. That is, the small channel that is received within the mid-size channel must be removed, whereupon a full length small channel is used for replacement. Disassembly of the system may be aggravated by corrosion, rusting, and/or foreign matter that migrates through available bolt holes to impede telescoping between the channels. Once the disassembly is carried out, the upper portion of the small channel becomes scrap to be discarded or used for a different purpose. The user is thus faced with the inconvenience of discarding the scrap, with the economic and ecological drawbacks being apparent.
Repair and replacement of the above systems involve an extraordinary amount of waste in terms of man hours, unusable scrap material, etc. This expense must be born by federal, state and local governments alike and is ultimately passed on to the taxpayer.